Roll-On Protective Covers for Hand-Held Consumer Electronic Devices

ABSTRACT

According to various aspects of the present disclosure, exemplary embodiments are provided of covers for hand-held consumer electronic devices. In one particular embodiment, a roll-on cover generally includes elastomeric material configured to be unrolled to snugly fit over and conform to an outer surface portion of a hand-held consumer electronic device.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser.No. 60/938,381 filed May 16, 2007, the entire disclosure of which isincorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

FIELD

The present disclosure generally relates (but not exclusively) toprotective covers for hand-held consumer electronic devices, such asroll-on protective covers for MP3 players, ipods, etc.

BACKGROUND

The statements in this section merely provide background informationrelated to the present disclosure and may not constitute prior art.

MPEG-1/2 Audio Layer 3 (“MP3”) is an audio technology that relies uponan audio compression algorithm capable of greatly reducing the amount ofdata required to reproduce audio, while sounding to most listeners likea faithful reproduction of the original uncompressed audio. Audio datacan be compressed to approximately one-tenth the uncompressed size.Software programs are available to “rip” audio data from a standardaudio CD, thereby creating compact MP3 files. This technology allowsrelatively large quantities of high quality digital audio to be storedon compact digital audio players. MP3 technology also allows largequantities of high quality digital audio to be rapidly transferred fromone location to another via the Internet. During the late 1990's, itbecame very popular among young people to “share” audio files over theinternet.

In 2001, the Apple ipod was introduced. The ipod is a portable MP3player designed for music fans. With the iTunes software and a computer,music fans may purchase music from the iTunes music store, download themusic to their computer, and transfer the music to their ipod.

SUMMARY

According to various aspects of the present disclosure, exemplaryembodiments are provided of covers for hand-held consumer electronicdevices. In an exemplary embodiment, a roll-on cover generally includeselastomeric material configured to be unrolled to snugly fit over andconform to an outer surface portion of a hand-held consumer electronicdevice.

In another exemplary embodiment, a roll-on cover generally includes alip defining an opening. An elastomeric material is configured to beunrolled from the lip and to snugly fit over and conform to an outersurface portion of a hand-held consumer electronic device receivedthrough the opening defined by the lip.

In another exemplary embodiment, a roll-on cover generally includes anopening configured for receiving at least a portion of the hand-heldconsumer electronic device therethrough. The cover may comprisethermoplastic rubber or thermoplastic resin. The cover is unrollablefrom a rolled-up configuration so as to position the unrolled portion ofthe cover over an outer surface of the at least a portion of thehand-held consumer electronic device received through the opening.

In a further exemplary embodiment, a roll-on cover generally includes acover member having an edge defining an opening configured for receivingat least a portion of the hand-held consumer electronic device. Thecover member is unrollable from a rolled-up configuration so as toposition the unrolled portion of the cover member over an outer surfaceof the at least a portion of the hand-held consumer electronic devicereceived through the opening defined by the cover member.

In an additional exemplary embodiment, a cover generally includes anelastomeric cover member defining an area (e.g., pouch, internal space,pocket, etc.) dimensionally smaller than the hand-held consumerelectronic device, such that the elastomeric material snugly fits overthe hand-held electronic consumer device. The cover may also include anelastic band integral to the elastomeric cover member for attaching thecover to user.

Other aspects of the present disclosure relate to methods for coveringhand-held consumer electronic devices. In an exemplary embodiment, amethod generally includes positioning at least a portion of a hand-heldconsumer electronic device through an opening defined by a lip of aroll-on cover. The method may also include unrolling a cover member fromthe lip such that the cover member snugly conforms to an outer surfaceof the at least a portion of the hand-held consumer electronic devicereceived through the opening defined by the lip.

Further aspects and features of the present disclosure will becomeapparent from the detailed description provided hereinafter. Inaddition, any one or more aspects of the present disclosure may beimplemented individually or in any combination with any one or more ofthe other aspects of the present disclosure. It should be understoodthat the detailed description and specific examples, while indicatingexemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, are intended forpurposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope ofthe present disclosure.

DRAWINGS

The drawings described herein are for illustration purposes only and arenot intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure in any way.

FIG. 1 is a front elevation view of an exemplary hand-held consumerelectronic device that may be provided with a cover according toexemplary embodiments;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation view of a cover according to exemplaryembodiments, and illustrating the cover in a rolled-up relativelycompact state or configuration in which the cover's material or body isrolled-up or rolled onto the cover's lip or rim member;

FIG. 2A is an upper plan view of the cover of FIG. 2, and illustratingthe opening into the cover as defined by the cover's lip or rim member;

FIG. 3 is a front elevation view illustrating the cover shown in FIGS. 2and 2A unrolled onto and covering the hand-held consumer electronicdevice shown in FIG. 1, according to exemplary embodiments;

FIG. 4 is a front elevation view of another exemplary hand-held consumerelectronic device that may be provided with a cover according toexemplary embodiments;

FIG. 5 is a front elevation view illustrating another exemplaryembodiment of a cover unrolled onto and covering the hand-held consumerelectronic device shown in FIG. 4, according to exemplary embodiments;

FIG. 6 is a front elevation view illustrating another exemplaryembodiment in which a cover has been unrolled onto and is covering ahand-held consumer electronic device;

FIG. 7 is a front elevation view illustrating another exemplaryembodiment in which a cover has been unrolled onto and is covering ahand-held consumer electronic device;

FIG. 8 illustrates another exemplary embodiment of a cover for ahand-held consumer electronic device, that includes an integrally moldedelastic arm band for attaching the cover (and the hand-held consumerelectronic device being covered thereby) to a user;

FIG. 9 illustrates an exemplary embodiment illustrating a cover beingused to cover a hand-held consumer electronic device, ear buds, andwiring; and

FIG. 10 illustrates another exemplary embodiment illustrating a coverbeing used to cover a hand-held consumer electronic device, ear buds,and wiring.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following description is merely exemplary in nature and is notintended to limit the present disclosure, application, or uses.

As recognized by the inventor hereof, existing covers for ipods and MP3players tend to have one or more of the following disadvantages: thecover is too loose and the ipod slips out of the cover too easily; thecover is not water/sweat resistant; and/or the cover is slippery and isthus prone to slip out of one's hand or pocket, which may result indamage to the electronic device upon impact with the ground.

According to various aspects of the present disclosure, exemplaryembodiments are provided of covers for hand-held consumer electronicdevices. In an exemplary embodiment, a roll-on cover generally includeselastomeric material configured to be unrolled to snugly fit over andconform to an outer surface portion of a hand-held consumer electronicdevice.

In another exemplary embodiment, a roll-on cover generally includes alip defining an opening. An elastomeric material is configured to beunrolled from the lip and to snugly fit over and conform to an outersurface portion of a hand-held consumer electronic device receivedthrough the opening defined by the lip.

In another exemplary embodiment, a roll-on cover generally includes anopening configured for receiving at least a portion of the hand-heldconsumer electronic device therethrough. The cover may comprisethermoplastic rubber or thermoplastic resin. The cover is unrollablefrom a rolled-up configuration so as to position the unrolled portion ofthe cover over an outer surface of the at least a portion of thehand-held consumer electronic device received through the opening.

In a further exemplary embodiment, a roll-on cover generally includes acover member having an edge defining an opening configured for receivingat least a portion of the hand-held consumer electronic device. Thecover member is unrollable from a rolled-up configuration so as toposition the unrolled portion of the cover member over an outer surfaceof the at least a portion of the hand-held consumer electronic devicereceived through the opening defined by the cover member.

In an additional exemplary embodiment, a cover generally includes anelastomeric cover member defining an area dimensionally smaller than thehand-held consumer electronic device, such that the elastomeric materialsnugly fits over the hand-held electronic consumer device. The cover mayalso include an elastic band integral to the elastomeric cover memberfor attaching the cover to user.

Other aspects of the present disclosure relate to methods for coveringhand-held consumer electronic devices. In an exemplary embodiment, amethod generally includes positioning at least a portion of a hand-heldconsumer electronic device through an opening defined by a lip of aroll-on cover. The method may also include unrolling a cover member fromthe lip such that the cover member snugly conforms to an outer surfaceof the at least a portion of the hand-held consumer electronic devicereceived through the opening defined by the lip.

In a further exemplary embodiment, a cover for a hand-held electronicdevice generally includes a rolled thin elastomeric, resilient, orflexible material (e.g., a material capable of stretching about six toeight times its initial, unstretched configuration, etc.) configured tosnugly fit over the hand-held consumer electronic device. Examplematerials from which the cover member may be formed includethermoplastic rubber or thermoplastic resin (TPR), such as hydrogenatedstyrened isoprene/butadiene block copolymer, a block copolymer, etc. Thecover member may define an area or internal space (e.g., pouch, pocket,etc.) therein for receiving a hand-held consumer electronic device. Thecover member may be configured such that the area is dimensionally sizedsmaller than the hand-held consumer electronic device, such that thecover member must be stretched in order to allow the device to bepositioned within the area. The cover member may have sufficientelasticity, resiliency, or flexibility to snugly fit over the hand-heldelectronic consumer device.

At least a portion of the elastomer may have a non-slippery surface(e.g., textured, dimpled, or rough surface for increasing coefficient offriction, etc.) to inhibit slipping of that surface when held by a userand/or to inhibit slipping between the cover and the hand-held consumerelectronic device. At least a portion of the elastomer may be at leastpartially light-transmissive (e.g., transparent, translucent, cutouts,holes therethrough, etc.) through which at least a portion of thehand-held consumer electronic device is visually perceptible to anobserver.

In various embodiments, the cover may include a hollow generallyoval-shaped, rounded or rectangular cross-section. In variousembodiments, the cover may be made of polyurethane, thermoplastic rubberor thermoplastic resin (TPR), such as hydrogenated styrenedisoprene/butadiene block copolymer, a block copolymer, etc. In variousembodiments, the cover has a thickness of approximately 0.02 inches(e.g., 0.0218 inches, etc.) to approximately 0.08 inches. In variousembodiments, the cover is water resistant. In various embodiments, thecover has a surface texture. In various embodiments, the cover has aninner cross-sectional dimension of approximately 2.375 inches by 0.57inch and an unrolled length of approximately 4.6 inches. In variousembodiments, the cover has an inner cross-sectional dimension ofapproximately 2.375 inches by approximately 0.69 inch and an unrolledlength of approximately 4.6 inches. In various embodiments, thenon-slippery surface comprises an outer surface of the cover when thecover is fit over the hand-held consumer electronic device. In variousembodiments, the non-slippery surface comprises an inner surface of thecover when the cover is fit over the hand-held consumer electronicdevice. In various embodiments, the non-slippery surface comprises outerand inner surfaces of the cover when the cover is fit over the hand-heldconsumer electronic device.

In various embodiments, the elastomer includes at least a portion thatis transparent or translucent. In various embodiments, the substantialentirety of the elastomer is light transmissive. In various embodiments,the substantial entirety of the elastomer includes a non-slipperysurface. In various embodiments, the substantial entirety of theelastomer is transparent and includes a non-slip or non-slipperysurface. In various embodiments, the cover is made from polyurethane. Inother embodiments, the cover is made of thermoplastic rubber orthermoplastic resin (TPR), such as hydrogenated styrenedisoprene/butadiene block copolymer, a block copolymer, etc.

In various embodiments, at least a portion of the elastomer isaesthetically colored and visually perceptible to an observer, wherebythe cosmetic appearance of the hand-held consumer electronic devicefitted with the cover may be enhanced. In various embodiments, theaesthetically colored portion of the elastomer is at least partiallylight transmissive. In various embodiments, the substantial entirety ofthe elastomer is light transmissive and aesthetically colored. Invarious embodiments, the cover includes at least one or more of a redportion, an orange portion, a yellow portion, a green portion, a cyanportion, a blue portion, an indigo portion, a violet portion, and aportion having a non-metallic color.

Other aspects of the present disclosure relate to methods for coveringhand-held consumer electronic devices. In one exemplary embodiment, amethod generally includes unrolling an elastomeric pouch over thehand-held device. The pouch includes a rolled thin transparent elastomerhaving a non-slippery surface and being dimensioned to snugly fit overthe hand-held device. In various embodiments, the pouch may include ahollow generally oval-shaped, rounded or rectangular cross-section. Invarious embodiments, the pouch is made of polyurethane. In otherembodiments, the pouch is made of thermoplastic rubber or thermoplasticresin (TPR), such as hydrogenated styrened isoprene/butadiene blockcopolymer, a block copolymer, etc. In various embodiments, the pouch hasa thickness of approximately 0.02 inches (e.g., 0.0218 inches, etc.) toapproximately 0.08 inches. In various embodiments, the pouch is waterresistant. In various embodiments, the pouch has a surface texture. Invarious embodiments, the pouch has an inner cross-sectional dimension ofapproximately 2.375 inches by approximately 0.57 inch and an unrolledlength of approximately 4.6 inches. In various embodiments, the pouchhas an inner cross-sectional dimension of approximately 2.375 inches byapproximately 0.69 inch and an unrolled length of approximately 4.6inches. Alternative embodiments may include a pouch having a sectionaldimension of less than 2.375 inches by less than 0.69 inch and anunrolled length of less than 4.6 inches. In various embodiments, thenon-slippery surface comprises an outer surface of the pouch when thepouch is fit over the hand-held consumer electronic device. In variousembodiments, the non-slippery surface comprises an inner surface of thepouch when the pouch is fit over the hand-held consumer electronicdevice. In various embodiments, the non-slippery surface comprises outerand inner surfaces of the pouch when the pouch is fit over the hand-heldconsumer electronic device.

According to one embodiment, the bottom of the cover is thicker than thetop of the cover, to inhibit the cover from stretching to the point oftearing along the bottom. In some embodiments, the thickness of thecover is approximately 0.02 inches (e.g., 0218 inches, etc.) toapproximately 0.08 inches. In some embodiments, the cover material ispolyurethane (or a material with similar properties). In otherembodiments, the cover material may be made of thermoplastic rubber orthermoplastic resin (TPR), such as hydrogenated styrenedisoprene/butadiene block copolymer, a block copolymer, etc. Alternativematerials may also be used for the cover.

The cover may be provided in various or different colors and sold inpackages containing several different color covers, for example, toaccommodate the preferences of the consumer. Because the covers of someembodiments may be manufactured relatively inexpensively (e.g., whenformed of polyurethane, thermoplastic rubber or thermoplastic resin(TPR), etc.), the cover may be considered by some users to bedisposable, for example, when they get dirty or look worn.

In various exemplary embodiments, an arm band or other user-retentiondevice (e.g., clip, etc.) may be provided for attaching the cover (andthe hand-held consumer electronic device being covered by the cover) tobe attached to the user, for example, to allow for hand-free use of thehand-held consumer electronic device (e.g., while biking or at the gym,etc.) For example, an arm band or other user-retention device may beformed integrally (e.g., via a molding process) with a portion of thecover (e.g., the cover material and/or the lip or rim member, etc.). Asanother example, an arm band or other user-retention device may beattached (e.g., adhesively bonded, etc.) to a portion of the cover.

Various embodiments may provide one or more benefits or advantages. Forexample, various embodiments provide a cover for a hand-held consumerelectronic device, in which the cover is water/sweat resistant. Variousembodiments provide a cover for a hand-held consumer electronic device,in which the cover is non-slippery. Various embodiments provide a coverfor a hand-held consumer electronic device that is easy to install/puton and easy to remove/take off the hand-held consumer electronic device.Various embodiments provide a cover for a hand-held consumer electronicdevice, where the cover is adaptable to fit a large range of devices.Various embodiments provide a cover for a hand-held consumer electronicdevice, where the cover is relatively inexpensive to manufacture.Additional possible advantages of one or more exemplary embodimentsdisclosed herein may also become apparent to those skilled in the artupon reference to the detailed description taken in conjunction with theprovided figures.

FIG. 1 illustrates an example of an existing hand-held consumerelectronic device 10, which may be provided with a cover or pouch asdisclosed herein. As shown in FIG. 1, the hand-held consumer electronicdevice 10 has a device configuration similar to that of an MP3 player,or more specifically, an ipod. The hand-held consumer electronic device10 includes a screen 12 and controls 14. The hand-held consumerelectronic device 10 can include connectors (not shown) provided on thetop 16 and/or bottom 18 for connecting to headphone, earbuds, in-earheadphones, battery chargers, audio interfaces, remote controllers, etc.The hand-held consumer electronic device 10 is rectilinear with roundedcorners.

FIGS. 2 and 2A illustrate an exemplary embodiment of a cover 100embodying one or more aspects of the present disclosure. As shown inFIGS. 2 and 2A, the cover 100 generally includes a pouch or cover member102, which is shown in a rolled-up configuration in which the materialis rolled up at the top 104. The top 104 may comprise a lip, rim, oredge of the material forming the cover member 102. One of thecross-sectional inner dimensions of the pouch or cover member 102 may beslightly smaller than that of the hand-held consumer electronic device10 (FIG. 1), such that the pouch 102 will stretch over the hand-heldconsumer electronic device 10 and fit snugly thereon. One of the innerdimensions of the pouch or cover member 102 may also be slightly largerthan the corresponding dimension of the hand-held consumer electronicdevice 10 to facilitate initiation or starting of the roll over thehand-held consumer electronic device 10.

FIG. 3 shows the cover 100 rolled over the hand-held consumer electronicdevice 10. As shown for this particular embodiment, the roll 104 isrolled up from the bottom 18 to the top 16 of the hand-held consumerelectronic device 10. The length of the pouch or cover member 102 whenfully extended may be longer than an ipod or other hand-held consumerelectronic device (e.g., longer by up to about 0.5 inch, etc.) asrepresented by the dashed lines in FIG. 3. With the extra length, thepouch or cover member 102 may be extended beyond the top 16 of thehand-held consumer electronic device 10, for example, to help providemore protection to the hand-held consumer electronic device 10 duringrain and/or to allow the cover 100 to be double-backed or unrolledgenerally over ear buds connected to the hand-held consumer electronicdevice 10, such as is shown in FIG. 10.

The cover 100 is preferably elastic, resiliently flexible, or stretchyso that the cover 100 may snugly fit over and hold the device 10.Preferably, the cover 100 is sufficiently elastic or stretchy so thatthe hand-held consumer electronic device 10 and associated ear buds (notshown) may be covered by the cover 100 (e.g., FIGS. 9 and 10, etc.). Invarious embodiments, uncovering the ear buds is accomplished fairlyeasily by rolling the cover 100 down but not necessarily completely offthe device 10. In various embodiments, the thickness of the cover 100may be approximately 0.018 to 0.020 inch.

In one particular embodiment, the cover 100 is configured for use with atwenty gigabyte ipod having a cross-sectional outer dimension of 2.4inches by 0.057 inch. In this embodiment, the preferred cross-sectionalinner dimensions for the cover are 2.375 inches by 0.57 inch. In anotherembodiment, the cover 100 is configured for use with a forty gigabyteipod having a cross-sectional outer dimension of 2.4 inches by 0.069inch. In such embodiments, the cover 100 preferably has cross-sectionalinner dimensions of 2.375 inches by 0.69 inch. In both of theseexamples, the twenty and forty gigabyte ipods are 4.1 inches tall, andthe covers for the ipods are preferably approximately 4.6 inches tallwhen fully unrolled. Alternative embodiments may include a coverdimensionally sized larger or smaller than just described.

In various embodiments, the cover 100 is made from polyurethane, whichis usually less opaque and more durable than latex. Other embodimentsinclude the cover 100 being made of thermoplastic rubber orthermoplastic resin (TPR), such as hydrogenated styrenedisoprene/butadiene block copolymer, a block copolymer, etc. Alternativematerials may also be used for the cover 100.

In various embodiments, covers 100 may be made in different colors andsold in packages containing several different color covers. Because thecovers of some embodiments may be manufactured relatively inexpensively,the cover may be considered by some users to be disposable, for example,when they get dirty and/or look worn. In some embodiments, the bottom ofthe cover is optionally thicker than the top to inhibit the cover fromstretching to the point of tearing. In various embodiments, the lighttransmissiveness (e.g., transparency and/or translucency, etc.) of thecover 100 (or portions thereof) allows a user to read the screen 12 ofthe device 10 when the cover 100 is covering the screen 12. Also,various embodiments may be dimensionally size the cover such that thethinness of the cover 100 allows the device controls 14 to be operatedwithout having to first remove or unroll the cover 100. In otherembodiments, however, the cover may be formed from a thicker materialsuch that the cover may have to be removed from over the controls andbuttons of the hand-held consumer electronic device before the controlsand buttons may be operated. For example, the user may by rolling thecover at least partially back onto the cover's lip or rim member tothereby expose and make accessible a control or button of the electronicdevice. Or, for example, the user may completely remove the cover fromthe electronic device to thereby expose and make accessible a control orbutton of the electronic device.

FIG. 4 illustrates another example of a hand-held consumer electronicdevice 20, which may be provided with a cover or pouch as disclosedherein. The hand-held consumer electronic device 20 has a deviceconfiguration similar to that of an MP3 player, or more specifically, anipod Mini. As shown in FIG. 4, the hand-held consumer electronic device20 includes a screen 22 and controls 24. The hand-held consumerelectronic device 20 may include connectors (not shown) provided on thedevice's top 26 and/or bottom 28 for connecting to ear buds, in-earheadphones, headphones, battery chargers, audio interfaces, remotecontrollers, etc.

FIG. 5 illustrates the hand-held consumer electronic device 10 with acover 200 embodying one or more aspects of the present disclosure. Asshown, the cover 200 comprises a pouch or cover member 202 with a rolledtop 204 (e.g., cover material rolled up along a lip, rim, edge, etc.).In various embodiments, the cover 200 is dimensioned to fit snugly overan ipod Mini 20, where the ipod Mini has a cross-sectional dimension of2.0 inches by 0.5 inch and a height of 3.6 inches. Alternativeembodiments may include a cover dimensionally sized to fit over a devicelarger or smaller than an ipod Mini.

FIG. 6 illustrates a further example of a hand-held consumer electronicdevice 30, which may be provided with a cover or pouch as disclosedherein. The hand-held consumer electronic device 30 has a deviceconfiguration similar to that of an MP3 player, or more specifically, aDell DJ. As shown in FIG. 6, the hand-held consumer electronic device 30includes a screen 32 and controls 34. The Dell DJ 30 may have connectors(not shown) on the top 36 and/or bottom 38 for connecting to ear buds,in-ear headphones, headphones, battery chargers, audio interfaces,remote controllers, etc.

As shown in FIG. 6, the cover 300 has been rolled over the Dell DJ 30.The cover 300 comprises a pouch or cover member 302 with a rolled top304 (e.g., cover material rolled up along a lip, rim, edge, etc.). Invarious embodiments, the cover 300 is dimensioned to fit snugly over aDell DJ 30, where the Dell DJ 30 has a cross-sectional dimension of 2.5inches by 0.74 inch and a height of 4.0 inches.

FIG. 7 illustrates an additional example of a hand-held consumerelectronic device 40, which may be provided with a cover or pouch asdisclosed herein. The hand-held consumer electronic device 40 has adevice configuration similar to that of an MP3 player, or morespecifically, a Creative Zen micro. As shown in FIG. 7, the hand-heldconsumer electronic device 40 includes a screen 42, controls 44, a top46, and a bottom 48. The cover 400 has been rolled over the device 40.The cover 400 comprises a pouch or cover member 402 with a rolled top404 (e.g., cover material rolled up along a lip, rim, edge, etc.). Invarious embodiments, the cover 400 is dimensioned to fit snugly over aCreative Zen Micro, where the Creative Zen Micro has a cross-sectionaldimension of 2.0 inches by 0.7 inch and a height of 3.3 inches.

FIG. 8 illustrates another exemplary embodiment of a cover or pouch 400for a hand-held consumer electronic device. In this illustratedembodiment, the cover 400 includes a cover member or pouch 402 that maybe formed from an elastomeric or resiliently flexible material. Examplematerials from which the cover member 402 may be formed arethermoplastic rubber or thermoplastic resin (TPR), such as hydrogenatedstyrened isoprene/butadiene block copolymer, a block copolymer, etc. Thecover member 402 defines an area or internal space 460 therein forreceiving a hand-held consumer electronic device (e.g., device 10 shownin FIG. 1, device 20 shown in FIG. 4, device 30 shown in FIG. 6, etc.).The cover member 402 may be configured such that the area 460 isdimensionally sized smaller than a hand-held consumer electronic device,such that the cover member 402 must be stretched in order to allow thedevice to be positioned within the area 460. The cover member 402 mayhave sufficient elasticity, resiliency, or flexibility to snugly fitover the hand-held electronic consumer device.

With continued reference to FIG. 8, the cover 400 also includes anelastic arm band 464. The elastic arm band 464 may be useful, forexample, for attaching the cover 400 (and the hand-held consumerelectronic device being covered by the cover 400) to a user, forexample, to allow for hand-free use of the hand-held consumer electronicdevice (e.g., while biking or exercising at the gym, etc.) In thisparticular example, the arm band 464 is formed integrally (e.g., via amolding process, etc.) with the cover 400. A wide range of materials(e.g., elastomeric materials, resiliently flexible materials, etc.) maybe used for the arm band 464. Example materials from which the covermember 402 may be formed of thermoplastic rubber or thermoplastic resin(TPR), such as hydrogenated styrened isoprene/butadiene block copolymer,a block copolymer, etc. In one exemplary embodiment, the arm band 464and the cover member 402 are formed from TPR as a single piece via amolding process. Alternative embodiments may include the arm band and/orcover member being formed from a different material and/or differentmanufacturing process. Still other embodiments may include a cover witha different user-retention device, or a user-retention device that is adiscrete component separately attached (e.g., adhesively bonded, etc.)to a cover.

In various embodiments, the cover may include a material that isrollable about a lip, rim, or edge of the material (e.g., rolled top,etc.). The cover may have a cross-section substantially matching orcorresponding with the hand-held consumer electronic device for whichthe cover is intended to cover, e.g., rectangular, etc. As anotherexample, the cover may have a cross-section that is generally round oroval when not covering a hand-held consumer electronic device, but thecover may be formed from a material having sufficient flexibility toallow the cover to be unrolled generally over and conform (e.g., changeshape from oval or round to generally rectangular, etc.) to thehand-held consumer electronic device. In some embodiments, the cover mayhave a length slightly longer or slightly shorter than the hand-heldconsumer electronic device for which the cover is designed to cover. Thecover may be formed of a stretchy or resilient material that allows thecover to snugly hold and/or snugly fit generally over the hand-heldconsumer electronic device. Example materials from which the cover maybe formed include thermoplastic rubber or thermoplastic resin (TPR),such as hydrogenated styrened isoprene/butadiene block copolymer, ablock copolymer, etc. The cover may have sufficient flexibility orstretchiness to not only cover the hand-held consumer electronic device(e.g., IPOD, etc.), but to also cover ear buds/in-ear headphones andassociated wiring, if any, connected to the ear buds/in-ear headphones.In some embodiments, the ear buds/in-ear phones may be wireless suchthat the cover may be used to cover the electronic device and earbuds/in-ear headphones.

For example, and with reference to FIG. 9, wiring 568 connected to theear buds/in-ear headphones 572 (or other audio output device) may bewrapped about the hand-held consumer electronic device 576. The cover500 may be rolled over the hand-held consumer electronic device 576 andthe ear buds/in-ear headphones 572 and wires 568. Accordingly, the cover500 would thus be disposed generally over the hand-held consumerelectronic device 576, ear buds/in-ear headphones 572, and wiring 568,thus helping protect and the device 576, ear buds/in-ear headphones 572and wiring 568, as well as providing convenient storage for the earbuds/in-ear headphones 572 and wiring 568. Accessing or uncovering theear buds/in-ear headphones 572 may be relatively easily done by rollingthe cover 500 down, for example, to uncover the ear buds/in-earheadphones 572 and portion of the hand-held consumer electronic device576 against which the ear buds/in-ear headphones 572 were being held bythe cover 500. As another example, the user may simply remove the cover500 completely off the hand-held consumer electronic device 576 toaccess the ear buds/in-ear headphones 572. In either case, thisexemplary manner of protecting and storing the ear buds/in-earheadphones 572 also may help reduce tangles or entanglements of thewiring 568.

As an alternative example, and with reference to FIG. 10, a cover 600may be used as follows for storing and protecting the audio outputdevice, such as the ear buds/in-ear headphones 672 and wiring 668. Inthis example, the cover 600 may be unrolled over the hand-held consumerelectronic device 676. The wiring 668 of the ear buds/in-ear headphones672 may be wrapped about the hand-held consumer electronic device 676and generally over/around a first portion of the cover 600. The cover600 may then be unrolled and double-backed so as to overlappinglyposition a second portion of the cover 600 generally over the firstportion of the cover 600 and over the wiring 668 and ear buds/in-earheadphones 672. At which point, the wiring 668 and ear buds/in-earheadphones 672 would be disposed and stored within an area or internalspace (e.g., pouch, pocket, compartment, etc.) defined generally by theoverlapped first and second portions of the cover 600 and between thelip 604 and seam/overlapped/folded edge 680. The seam 680 is thejunction or interface at which the cover 600 was overlapped, folded, ordouble-backed so as to position the second portion of the cover 600 overthe wiring 668 and ear buds/in-ear headphones 672. In addition todouble-backing or unrolling the cover over the wiring 668 and earbuds/in-ear headphones 672, the cover's lip 604 may also positioned onthe side of the wiring 668 and ear buds/in-ear headphones 672 generallyopposite the seam 680. The resilient, elastic nature of the cover's lip604 may help retain the wiring 668 and ear buds/in-ear headphones 672 inplace. The inner surface of the first portion of the cover 600 would beagainst the electronic device 676, and the outer surface of the firstportion of the cover 600 would have the wiring 668 and ear buds/in-earheadphones 672 there against. The wiring 668 and ear buds/in-earheadphones 672 would be sandwiched generally between the first andsecond portions of the cover 600. This exemplary manner of protectingand storing the ear buds/in-ear headphones 672 may also help reducetangles or entanglements of the wiring 668. In such exemplaryembodiments, uncovering the earbuds/in-ear headphones 672 may be donerelatively easily by pulling or rolling the cover off theear-buds/in-ear headphones 672, for example, by fully extending thecover (e.g., unrolling off the ear buds, etc.).

In various embodiments, the covers fit snugly over a hand-heldelectronic consumer device and may be formed of materials that are lessslippery than leather covers or plastic covers. Optionally, the coversmay be manufactured with a surface texture (e.g., roughend surfaces,dimpled surface, etc.), which may enhance non-slip characteristics. Thehand-held covers of various embodiments may be liquid or moistureresistant to repel water, sweat, etc. In various embodiments, the top ofthe cover may remain open, and accordingly, the cover may not becompletely water-tight. In such embodiments, however, the covers maystill be rain resistant when held upside down.

In various embodiments, the covers may provide impact/scratchresistance/protection. For example, exemplary embodiments may include acover configured from a relatively thick thermoplastic rubber orthermoplastic resin (TPR) so as to provide fairly good impact/scratchresistance/protection to the hand-held consumer electronic device whencovering that device.

In various embodiments, the covers will allow many electronic devices tobe operable while the cover is disposed over and covering the devicecontrols. But some embodiments may include cut-outs or openings in thecover to expose the controls (e.g., allow the controls to protrudeoutwardly through the cut-outs or openings and/or allow a user to inserthis finger into a cut-out or opening to press a button). Alternatively,a cover may also be rolled down by the user when the user wants toaccess the electronic device's controls. The cover may then besubsequently rolled back up. If access to connectors on the bottom ofthe electronic device is desired, the bottom of the cover may be cut orotherwise removed or provided with openings for accessing theconnectors. As another option, the user may simply remove the cover fromthe electronic device (e.g., relatively easily by rolling the cover atleast partially back onto the cover's top roll, lip, rim member, etc.)to access one or more connectors along the bottom of the electronicdevice.

Any one or more of the covers disclosed herein may be used with a widerange of other electronic devices, including MP3 players, ipods, DellDJs, personal cellular communication devices, among others. Accordingly,the specific references herein to MP3 players, ipods, and Dell DJsshould not be construed as limiting the scope of the disclosure to onlythese devices.

All dimensions and materials set forth here are mere examples and can bevaried depending, for example, on the particular end use of the cover.

Certain terminology is used herein for purposes of reference only, andthus is not intended to be limiting. For example, terms such as “upper”,“lower”, “above”, “below”, “front”, “back”, “rear”, “bottom”, and “side”can refer to directions in the drawings to which reference is madeand/or can describe the orientation of portions of the component withina consistent but arbitrary frame of reference which is made clear byreference to the text and the associated drawings describing thecomponent under discussion. Such terminology may include the wordsspecifically mentioned above, derivatives thereof, and words of similarimport. Similarly, the terms “first”, “second” and other such numericalterms referring to structures do not imply a sequence or order unlessclearly indicated by the context.

When introducing elements or features of the present disclosure and theexemplary embodiments, the articles “a”, “an”, “the” and “said” areintended to mean that there are one or more of such elements orfeatures. The terms “comprising”, “including” and “having” are intendedto be inclusive and mean that there may be additional elements orfeatures other than those specifically noted. It is further to beunderstood that the methods “steps”, “processes”, and “operations”thereof described herein are not to be construed as necessarilyrequiring their performance in the particular order discussed orillustrated, unless specifically identified as an order of performance.It is also to be understood that additional or alternative steps may beemployed.

The description of the disclosure is merely exemplary in nature and,thus, variations that do not depart from the gist of the disclosure areintended to be within the scope of the disclosure. Such variations arenot to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of thedisclosure.

1. A roll-on cover for a hand-held consumer electronic device, theroll-on cover comprising: a lip defining an opening; and an elastomericmaterial configured to be unrolled from the lip and to snugly fit overand conform to an outer surface portion of a hand-held consumerelectronic device received through the opening defined by the lip. 2.The roll-on cover of claim 1, wherein the elastomeric material comprisesthermoplastic rubber or thermoplastic resin.
 3. The roll-on cover ofclaim 1, wherein the elastomeric material comprises hydrogenatedstyrened isoprene/butadiene block copolymer.
 4. The roll-on cover ofclaim 1, wherein the elastomeric material includes at least one of anouter non-slippery surface and an inner non-slipper surface.
 5. Theroll-on cover of claim 1, wherein the elastomeric material istransparent or translucent.
 6. The roll-on cover of claim 1, wherein theelastomeric material is configured to be unrolled from the lip andsnugly fit over at least one ear bud associated with the hand-heldconsumer electronic device.
 7. The roll-on cover of claim 6, wherein theelastomeric material is configured to be disposed over and retain the atleast one ear bud against the hand-held consumer electronic device. 8.The roll-on cover of claim 6, wherein the elastomeric material isconfigured to be unrolled from the lip and to snugly fit over at leastone ear bud and wiring wrapped generally about the hand-held consumerelectronic device.
 9. The roll-on cover of claim 1, wherein theelastomeric material is configured to be unrolled from the lip suchthat: a first portion of the elastomeric material snugly fits over andconforms to the outer surface portion of the hand-held consumerelectronic device received through the opening defined by the lip; and asecond portion of the elastomeric material overlaps the first portion,and snugly fits over at least one ear bud such that the at least one earbud is disposed generally between the first and second portions of theelastomeric material.
 10. The roll-on cover of claim 1, wherein theelastomeric material is configured to be rolled at least partially backonto the lip to uncover at least a portion of the hand-held consumerelectronic device.
 11. The roll-on cover of claim 1, wherein: theopening defined by the lip is generally oval shaped or rounded when theelastomeric material is rolled onto the lip; and the lip comprises anelastomeric material configured to snugly fit over and conform to anouter surface portion of the hand-held consumer electronic device. 12.The roll-on cover of claim 1, wherein the cover is water resistant. 13.The roll-on cover of claim 1, wherein the elastomeric material has atleast one of an outer surface texture and an inner surface texture forincreasing a coefficient of friction.
 14. The roll-on cover of claim 1,wherein an edge of the elastomeric material defines the lip.
 15. Theroll-on cover of claim 1, wherein the elastomeric material is configuredto stretch at least about six times an initial, unstretchedconfiguration.
 16. A hand-held consumer electronic device comprising theroll-on cover of claim
 1. 17. A method for covering a hand-held consumerelectronic device with a cover having a lip and a cover member, themethod comprising: positioning at least a portion of a hand-heldconsumer electronic device through an opening defined by the lip; andunrolling the cover member from the lip such that the cover membersnugly conforms to an outer surface of the at least a portion of thehand-held consumer electronic device received through the openingdefined by the lip.
 18. The method of claim 17, wherein unrolling thecover member includes rolling the lip along the outer surface of the atleast a portion of the hand-held consumer electronic device, to therebycause the cover member to unroll from the lip.
 19. The method of claim17, further comprising rolling the cover member back onto the lip touncover at least a portion of the hand-held consumer electronic device.20. The method of claim 17, further comprising unrolling the covermember generally over at least one ear bud associated with the hand-heldconsumer electronic device.
 21. The method of claim 17, whereinunrolling the cover member from the lip includes unrolling the covermember generally over at least one ear bud, such that the cover memberholds the at least one ear bud against an outer surface portion of thehand-held consumer electronic device.
 22. The method of claim 17,further comprising: wrapping wiring connected to at least one ear budand to the hand-held consumer electronic device generally about aportion of the hand-held consumer electronic device; and unrolling thecover member generally over the wiring and the at least one ear bud. 23.The method of claim 17, wherein unrolling the cover member from the lipincludes: covering the at least a portion of the hand-held consumerelectronic device with a first portion of the cover member; continuingto unroll the cover member from the lip and overlapping a second portionof the cover member generally over the first portion, such that a seamis defined generally between the overlapped first and second portions ofthe cover; and positioning the lip on a side of at least one ear budopposite the seam, such that the at least one ear bud is disposed withinan area generally defined by the overlapped first and second portions ofthe cover member, the seam, and the lip.
 24. The method of claim 17,wherein the cover member comprises thermoplastic rubber or thermoplasticresin.
 25. The method of claim 17, wherein the cover member compriseshydrogenated styrened isoprene/butadiene block copolymer.
 26. The methodof claim 17, wherein an edge of the elastomeric material defines thelip.
 27. A roll-on cover for a hand-held consumer electronic device, thecover comprising a thermoplastic rubber or thermoplastic resin and anopening configured for receiving at least a portion of the hand-heldconsumer electronic device therethrough, the cover unrollable from arolled-up configuration so as to position the unrolled portion of thecover over an outer surface of the at least a portion of the hand-heldconsumer electronic device received through the opening.
 28. The roll-oncover of claim 27, wherein the cover comprises hydrogenated styrenedisoprene/butadiene block copolymer.
 29. The roll-on cover of claim 27,wherein the cover is translucent.
 30. The roll-on cover of claim 27,further comprising a lip defining the opening about which the cover isrolled in the rolled-up configuration and from which the cover isunrollable when the lip is rolled along the outer surface of the atleast a portion of the hand-held consumer electronic device.
 31. Theroll-on cover of claim 30, wherein the lip comprises an elastomericmaterial configured to snugly fit over and conform to an outer surfaceportion of the hand-held consumer electronic device.
 32. The roll-oncover of claim 27, wherein the cover is configured to snugly fit over atleast one ear bud.
 33. The roll-on cover of claim 32, wherein the coveris configured to be unrolled to snugly fit over the at least a portionof the hand-held consumer electronic device, at least one ear bud, andwiring wrapped generally about the hand-held consumer electronic device.34. The roll-on cover of claim 27, wherein the cover is configured to beunrolled such that: a first portion of the cover snugly fits over andconforms to the outer surface portion of the hand-held consumerelectronic device received through the opening; and a second portion ofthe cover overlaps the first portion of the cover, and snugly fits overat least one ear bud such that the at least one ear bud is disposedgenerally between the first and second portions of the cover.
 35. Ahand-held consumer electronic device comprising the roll-on cover ofclaim
 27. 36. A roll-on cover for a hand-held consumer electronicdevice, the roll-on cover comprising: a cover member having an edgedefining an opening configured for receiving at least a portion of thehand-held consumer electronic device; the cover member unrollable from arolled-up configuration so as to position the unrolled portion of thecover member over an outer surface of the at least a portion of thehand-held consumer electronic device received through the openingdefined by the cover member.
 37. The roll-on cover of claim 36, whereinthe cover member comprises an elastomeric material defining an areadimensionally smaller than the hand-held consumer electronic device,such that the cover member snugly fits over the hand-held electronicconsumer device.
 38. The roll-on cover of claim 37, wherein the covermember comprises thermoplastic rubber or thermoplastic resin.
 39. Theroll-on cover of claim 36, further comprising a user-retention devicefor attaching the roll-on cover and hand-held consumer electronic devicebeing covered thereby to a user.
 40. The roll-on cover of claim 36,further comprising a user-retention device for attaching the roll-oncover and hand-held consumer electronic device being covered thereby toa user.
 41. The roll-on cover of claim 36, wherein the edge of the covermember is configured to define a lip that is rollable along the outersurface of the at least a portion of the hand-held consumer electronicdevice to thereby unroll the cover member from the lip and position theportion of the cover member unrolled from the lip over the outer surfaceof the at least a portion of the hand-held consumer electronic device.42. The roll-on cover of claim 36, wherein the cover member has anunrolled length longer than a length of the hand-held consumerelectronic device.
 43. The roll-on cover of claim 36, wherein theelastomeric material comprises hydrogenated styrened isoprene/butadieneblock copolymer.
 44. A cover for a hand-held consumer electronic device,the cover comprising: an elastomeric cover member defining an areadimensionally smaller than the hand-held consumer electronic device,such that the elastomeric material snugly fits over the hand-heldelectronic consumer device; and an elastic band integral to theelastomeric cover member for attaching the cover to user.
 45. The coverof claim 44, wherein the elastomeric cover member and elastic bandcomprise thermoplastic rubber or thermoplastic resin.
 46. The cover ofclaim 44, wherein the elastomeric cover member and elastic band comprisemolded thermoplastic rubber or thermoplastic resin.
 47. The roll-oncover of claim 1, wherein the roll-on cover includes at least oneportion having at least one of a generally rounded, oval-shaped, orrectangular cross-section.
 48. The roll-on cover of claim 27, whereinthe roll-on cover includes at least one portion having at least one of agenerally rounded, oval-shaped, or rectangular cross-section.
 49. Theroll-on cover of claim 36, wherein the cover member includes at leastone portion having at least one of a generally rounded, oval-shaped, orrectangular cross-section.
 50. The cover of claim 44, wherein theelastomeric cover member includes at least one portion having at leastone of a generally rounded, oval-shaped, or rectangular cross-section.